Thursday, September 01, 2005

Say GRRRR to Katrina

The video of Katrina that I am finding the hardest to watch is the footage that includes moms and babies and children. Moms and babies and children lost and hopeless, carrying all of their posessions in small plastic bags.

I know the footage is especially hard for me to watch because I am a mom and I have small children, children whom I NEVER want to see hungry or in need or even with a dirty diaper. Just thinking about somebody hurting my babies turns me into a mama bear. GRRRR.

As we thought about all the Americans across the country who are offering their homes to the people of Louisiana and Mississippi who've lost theirs, we realized that all these families are going to need supplies when they get to their new, temporary residences. Toys for the kids, clothes for themselves and the kids, diapers, formula, school supplies. Families who have lost everything are going to need so very much to get their lives going again.

We all want to help get supplies to them, but remember after 9/11 when tons of toys, clothes and food were sent to NYC and the authorities complained that they didn't have the manpower to distribute the items to the people who needed them?

Here at Been There, we want to establish a direct connection between those with things to donate and the people who need them.

To do that, we are setting up a clearinghouse for anyone who has toys, clothes or other supplies to send directly to families.